Hauntedland - Newcastle Keep 2007 Report

Newcastle Keep 2007

The Newcastle Keep is a castle with a long and interesting history. I have visited this castle many times over the years and was excited that I had the opportunity to investigate it during the night. There are many tales of ghostly occurrences and I hoped tonight would be full of them.

The Investigation
This investigation would include guests from the NGI forum who were invited to attend. We arrived at the Castle Keep around 9.30pm. Before the guests arrived, the Scientific Investigators performed baseline tests of the castle. I started in the garrison room and worked my way up to the roof.

The temperature and humidity remained fairly stable – averaging out at 22 degrees and 46-55% humidity. The only EMF readings came from the lights that sent the needle off the scale – otherwise there was negligible EMF’s. The only exception to the readings was the garrison room, the temperature there was 17 degrees and humidity was higher 67%. I put the temperature-drop down to the fact there were no lights in this room and because heat rises, the rooms above would get warm as air rose through the various rooms and corridors.

The guests arrived and introductions were made. Team members split in to three groups and each took a number of guests with them, the team I was in included Sue, Kris and 3 guests. We then advised everyone to wander around the castle for a little while to familiarise themselves with the layout, as once the lights went out, it would be pitch black. After the orientation period we asked for the lights to be turned off. We suddenly became swallowed in total darkness – it was great!

My team began the investigation in the garrison room. While I was setting up my camcorder to record what we were about to do, I noticed on the screen that a strange vertical light twinkled and shimmered in the middle of the room. The light anomaly was about a metre long and 5 centimetres wide. It shimmered, elongated, shortened, rotated, twisted, shortened again then vanished. I was so gob smacked by what I’d seen I had forgot to press the record button. I couldn’t believe my stupidity and when I asked the team if they’d seen it, they’d all said no. I hoped to try and capture this event later.

Sue tried calling out to start with but nothing replied. Sue felt she sensed a male spirit in the room with us. After 10 minutes we all went into the pit room, this room was small and situated off the garrison room. Sue, Kris and the guests tried the Ouija board but nothing occurred. Sue, Kris and a guest tried the pendulum but again there was nothing other than the ‘possibility’ there ‘may’ be more than one spirit present. No one else could confirm this for definite. Our guest medium, Fay, then joined us. Fay said she could sense something but not very strong in the corner of the room. She tried the Ouija board to make contact, but again it was without success. I asked if it was possible that the spirit may ether be illiterate or just not understand how the Ouija works. Fay agreed that this could be a possibility.

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Our next location at 12.30am was the Great Hall where we held a séance. Sounds were heard as well as a cool breeze felt. I investigated both and found the noise to be a flagpole rattling in the wind up on the roof and the breeze came from a window in the Kings chamber and the double doors of the main entrance. Fay sensed there was a presence over by the well room and claimed she could see shadows moving. Kris said he could feel a tingle and heard a noise in the gallery. The temperature and humidity remained unchanged.

We walked around the gallery; this over looks the great hall. Again, there was nothing – just darkness. I believed there was a lot of psychology at play. People hoped for an experience, we were in a reputedly haunted location, there was no light and we were all weary of what might happen next. Some of the guests appeared to be a little nervous - was that the dark or 'psychology' at work? So far I had sensed nothing or captured anything. Orbs that I’d seen on camera on closer inspection were dust particles – these can be seen quite clearly on infrared footage as a piece of fluff floating on a breeze with a glow of light around it (unless that's the orbs skeleton!)

During break times, I went back to the garrison room to try and capture that light anomaly but still it alluded me.

The temperature had finally dropped after a few hours of uncomfortable heat to an average of 17 degrees. Humidity rose to 63% but this could be due to perspiration off everyone as well as the warm air cooling.

At around 1.30am a séance was held in the great hall with all the teams together. Andrea and myself went up in to the gallery not only to watch and record the séance, but to listen out for footsteps that are claimed to run around the gallery area. I heard or sensed nothing during the entire duration of the séance that lasted about half an hour. During the séance, a person in the group became very upset and cried uncontrollably – supposedly this was due to spirit contact and sensing the emotions of the spirit. Orbs were found in a couple of the stills I took of the circle, but nothing else occurred.

We returned to our in our small groups. At 4.15am we went into the mezzanine, below the Queens chamber. Sue and Kris sensed a male presence but no response was made to communication attempts. One of the guests thought a female was present when she asked her pendulum for a response.

A further attempt in the garrison room to capture the anomaly failed. I found later when I spoke to Andrea and Beth, that earlier in the night they had seen the anomaly in the same area, but with the naked eye. They did not capture it on film either but at least someone else saw it so I know it wasn’t a unique experience.

I was disappointed with the investigation due to the lack of activity. I really hoped the stories would be true and with the failed attempt to capture the anomaly, it was a real let down. I left the Keep at 4.30am.

When I checked the stills at home, I noticed in one of the photos of the great hall, taken from the gallery, a light anomaly, like an orange electrical bolt appears to come from the wall and onto a display screen, In the same photo there is a strange orange glow in the doorway. It was dark, no one was about or in the great hall yet the glow comes into the hall from the stairwell. On closer inspection the orange glow has a mist quality to it. So, I got something interesting after all!

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Location: Newcastle Keep 2007
Where: Newcastle
Visit: 4th August 2007
Time: 9.00pm to 4.30am

Castle Keep History pt 1
Edited extract from Wikipedia

The Castle is an archaelogical site in Newcastle upon Tyne, England, that gives the City of Newcastle its name. The most visible evidence of the site now comprises two buildings, the Castle Keep and the The Black Gate, which are the remains of the Castle's square fortified stone tower (keep), and a fortified gatehouse (barbican).

Use of the site for defence dates from Roman times, when the site was known as a fort and settlement called Pons Aelius, guarding a bridge over the River Tyne. In 1080, a wooden motte and bailey style castle was built on the site of the Roman fort, which is the 'New Castle upon Tyne'. It was built by Robert Curthose, eldest son of William I (William the Conqueror), having returned south from a campaign against Malcolm III of Scotland. The stone Castle Keep was built between 1172 and 1177 by Henry II on the site of Curthose's castle. The Blackgate was added between 1247 and 1250 by Henry III.

The Castle Keep and Blackgate pre-dated the construction of the Newcastle town wall, construction of which started sometime around 1265, and did not form part of it.

Nothing remains of the Roman fort or the original motte and bailey castle. The Keep is a Grade I listed building, and a Scheduled Ancient Monument. The Keep is owned by the City Council, who lease it to the Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle upon Tyne, who manage it as a visitor attraction.

Earliest history
The Romans built a fort to protect the river crossing which was at the foot of the Tyne Gorge. The fort was situated on rocky outcrop overlooking the new bridge, on the site of the later Norman castle. Little else is known about the roman fort that existed there.

At some unknown time in the Anglo-Saxon age, the site of Newcastle came to be known as Monkchester. During this time, a cemetery was established on the site of the Roman castle.

Norman castle
In 1080 the Norman king, William I, sent his eldest son, Robert Curthose, north to defend the kingdom against the Scots. After his campaign, he moved to Monkchester and began the building of a ‘New Castle’. This was of the “motte-and-bailey” type of construction, a wooden tower on top of an earthen mound (motte), surrounded by a moat and wooden stockade (bailey). It was this new castle that gave Newcastle its name.

In 1095 the Earl of Northumbria, Robert de Mowbray, rose up against William Rufus and Rufus sent an army north to crush the revolt and to capture the castle. From then on the castle became crown property and was an important base from which the king could control the northern barons.